Redundancy - suitable alternative role

Hope someone can give me some advice. I'm just worrying so much. My role as office manager has gone completely along with 3 other different roles in the company. So we have a pool of 11 people going after 7 jobs. People were asked if they wanted voluntary redundancy, 1 person took it, 1 has been made compulsory the rest slotted in to their existing roles but on much lower grades. I didn't apply for voluntary redundancy as my role had gone and there was no other suitable alternative available so I thought I would automatically get it. However I have been told I have been given a suitable alternative role but as an admin clerk over £400 less a month pay. So my pay is different and status, no responsibilities in my 'new' role. I am a single parent with two albeit older teenagers at university but I still need to provide a home for them etc and if my wage drops like that I cannot afford my mortgage. My union rep says I have a very good case for appeal but he's away this week and as I'm worrying myself sick just needed some quick advice. I have today received the new job offer and have been given 14 days to return it signed to accept. I have contacted the hr dept and asked what I do if I do not accept and they replied just that to avoid compulsory redundancy I need to sign and return the letter. They didn't answer my question directly Can a company truly believe that this is a suitable role or are they just trying it on as if I went there would be some serious skills missing from the office? Why am I having to potentially go through an appeal when it seems to everyone else this is so unreasonable?? I am beside myself with worry and don't know how I'm getting through each day.

Ultimately you need to subjectively decide whether it's a suitable alternative. Loss of status and pay to the extent that you can no longer afford your moetgage certainly doesn't seem suitable to me!

They could try to argue it's suitable and so you lose your right to redundancy pay by unreasonably refusing, which would mean a Tribunal to get your money. It depends how much of a fight they will put up.

You're entitled to a trial period of a month and you won't lose your redundancy pay if you confirm its unsuitable during that period.